Training a dog can be overwhelming to those who are new at it. You can easily be lead to information overload because of all of the resources available to new trainers. Use the following tips to train your dog.
Be sure that your canine is consuming a healthy diet. A poor diet can negatively affect them in various ways. Not only does it affect the dog’s health, but it can have an impact on its behavior. Improving your dog’s diet will also improve its mental capacity.
You must repeat all new commands. It can take as many as 50 repetitions of one command before your dog learns it. Be patient and say the same command in the same way each time. Your dog will learn eventually.
When trying to train your dog, avoid accidentally reinforcing negative behaviors. Thus, you must not reward the dog if it does something you are working to stop. For instance, avoid rubbing the dog’s head every time they jump up when you get home.
You can show your dog how to do tricks, get some treats. The first step is to get the dog to lay down. Then, position a treat near the floor to one side of him, raise it up and move it over to the opposite side. He will naturally use his nose to follow the treat, thus rolling over his whole body. Whenever your dog does actually roll over, say “roll over” out loud. Repeating this over time forms a mental association in your dog’s mind that eventually causes him to roll over on command. Don’t get frustrated if it takes a few tries, once he learns this trick he’ll be the star of the dog park!
Avoid costly training tools such as shock collars. They may not work very well and are far too expensive. They can cause your dog to be confused about all their behaviors. Trying things akin to this will only cause harm to your relationship with your dog.
Maintain your dog’s training throughout its lifetime. A dog does not stop learning after puppyhood. By continually reinforcing desired behaviors, your dog will continue to behave appropriately.
Using a crate is an effective way to house train your dog. Use a consistent schedule for proper crate training of your dog. Soon you’ll find that your crate-trained dog will have learned to avoid inside accidents.
Try to research all the possible ways to train your pet before you begin. Talk to those who have the same kind of dog you do, and get suggestions. Customize training specifically for your dog based on your knowledge.
Never allow yourself to be led on by your dog. You are the one leading him. You need to have an adequate training collar as well as a short leash for obedience training. Keep your pooch at your heel at all times. Don’t forget that you are the boss.
Make sure you get a bed big enough for your dog. While you can purchase a large bed for your dog, you could also just use a mattress from a crib. A crib mattress has advantages; one being that you can use crib sheets and then change them as needed. Another advantage is that these mattresses are waterproof.
Keep your dogs out of the trash by feeding them well and giving them a lot of toys. Make sure that you take out your trash frequently, and try to keep things that your dog will not be able to resist out of there. Make sure your dog is crated whenever you leave the house, or else empty out our trash.
Use treats your dog really loves to achieve maximum training efficiency. This can even be something that the dog is not normally permitted to have, like hot dogs or cheese.
Make sure to keep your dog’s check ups, up to date. Health is important to ensure a functional dog for training. Sometimes, dogs will mask discomfort, making it hard for you to tell how they are feeling. Sometimes changes in behavior are the only indication that there may be a health problem. Aggression can show pain, and “accidents” around the house could show an infection or even bladder stones.
Introductions to new dogs or any other animals should occur slowly and carefully. Consider your pet at home before adopting a new one. You want all of your pets to have complimentary personalities so that bonding will be a breeze between them.
We hope these suggestions will be helpful to you. Remember these tips as a guide to helping you train your dog, so both you and your dog will be very happy.